The invention relates to a method for enabling a user to input a plurality of messages into a data process system, the method comprising the steps of: allocating to each message a respective target zone in a virtual workspace; presenting a tactual representation of the virtual workspace by applying forces to a member of an input device which has a housing with respect to which the member is user-manipulatable; converting manipulations of the member to locations of a control object in the virtual workspace; selecting one of the messages for input in response to a movement of the control object to a corresponding one of the respective target zones.
A data processing system in which such a method can advantageously be employed has been disclosed in United States patent application Ser. No. 08/678115, corresponding to European patent EP 0 489 469. The reference describes an apparatus, such as a PC, comprising an input device for inputting coordinates of a control object with respect to a virtual workspace and a display for presenting a visual representation of the virtual workspace. The location of the control object in the virtual workspace is indicated by a cursor on the display. The cursor and the visual representation of the virtual workspace establish a form of visual feedback, supporting the user in the process of moving the control object through the virtual workspace. Further support is provided by actual feedback in the form of a tactual representation of the virtual workspace consisting of forces on the member of the input device favouring the presence of the control object in certain preferred areas.
On a higher level, a method according to the preamble allows inputting messages such as commands, responses to system prompts, etc. Thereto, a number of such preferred areas are used as target zones being allocated to the respective messages, as set out in the preamble. The target zones together establish a kind of menu, each target zone enabling selection of a corresponding message for input upon moving the control object thereto. The visual feedback and tactual feedback then serve to facilitate the process of capturing the target zones.
In some cases, however, the use of visual feedback is not an option, e.g. in case of a data processing system for visually impaired users, or simply because a display would be too expensive. Alternatively, when the user is already heavily loaded with visual data, or when a low complete interaction process with the data processing system is required, which is often the case with consumer systems, the use of visual feedback should be resisted as much as possible.
A problem, though, is that simply leaving out the visual feedback yields, in general, a virtual workspace in which the user easily gets lost, due to the complexity of the virtual workspace.